Surviving Camp NaNoWriMo — Part 1

On April 1, if you listen really hard, you just might here the clicking of keyboards, the sounds of coffee pots and the frustrated screams of writers everywhere. It won’t be as noticeable as November, but it’ll be there. Writing 50,000 words in a month can be very taxing on anyone. That equals to 1,667 words every day. It can also be very frustrating. You still have your job, your family, your life. There’s only so much you can cut out in order have time to write.

Now, you’re wondering what is NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month, which is held in November. During the summer months they have a camp version of it. It’s a writing program where the goal is to hit 50,000 words in 30 days. Essentially you are writing a novel in a month. It sounds hard, but it is possible. With the below information and the help and encouragement of others, I’ve succeeded. But I can tell you that it’s easy to get overwhelmed, so there are a few things that can help with that.

Outlines. They are your friend. It doesn’t have to very detailed if you don’t want it to be, but you need something to help you out when you get stuck. Having the story planned out can help on those days when you’re stuck, and it can help keep your novel flowing. Just imagine, you’re geared up to write your first few hundred words and all you see is that blinking cursor, taunting you, impatiently waiting for you. This can prevent that.

Characters. I’ve found that having your character information (name, town they live in, family, etc.) can help you so you’re not stuck trying to come up with it while your writing. I am the guilty person who looks around the room and makes up names from objects I see, or I create a post on Facebook begging people to give me name ideas. This can prevent you from naming your character Dogress Tablau.

Planning. Having your outline ready before the first day is ideal. I start at the beginning of the month before. It gives you time to work on it and time to look over it before Camp NaNoWriMo begins. It’s also helpful to make leftovers, so when midnight on April 1 hits, you don’t have to worry about meals, at least for the first few days. Remember that blinking cursor? It’s doing that taunting thing. Now you have the smoke alarm going off and your husband asking where dinner is. That’s why we plan.

Explaining. Telling you family and close friends ahead of time can help. Getting their support from the beginning is wonderful. It can help you on those days when you don’t feel like writing. It also helps explain why you’re sneaking off all the time, or why you didn’t go to bed until 3 a.m. It’s easier to prepare them for the skipped showers and forgetting to hang out with your friends. It also explains the disappearing act you pull at family get-togethers.

With these tools, I have won every time I’ve done it, in November I finished 10 days early. It also gives you peace of mind so you aren’t going into Camp NaNoWriMo with no idea what you’re doing. You won’t get the panicked feeling of having no idea what you novel is going to be about. It also helps in those moments when you’re stuck. You can always make changes, but you will have an idea. Don’t let the blinking cursor win. You are stronger then it. You will beat it.

Now, sit down at that desk, couch or wherever you write, pull out that pen and note pad or your computer and start outlining. There’s a lot of work to doing Camp NaNoWriMo, but trust me, it’s worth it.